


LEGACY

by N1x3r



Category: GreedFall (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 09:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23349199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/N1x3r/pseuds/N1x3r
Summary: "ᴅᴇ ꜱᴀʀᴅᴇᴛ, ɴᴇᴡ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ"𝘼𝙣 𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮, 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.Teer Fradee is where Jeralyn De Sardet's new life begins as Legate, but nothing could prepare her for facing the fight of her life. Both on the tip of her sword, and the centre of her heart.
Relationships: Kurt/De Sardet (GreedFall)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 11





	1. Fight With Honor

"Could you stand a little taller, just a tad?" Sir de Cortone requested while sidestepping from behind his easel to where De Sardet could see him.

Jeralyn sighed lightly, but went along with his request.

"Like this?" She asked, after only moving slightly.

"Yes, yes" Cortone mumbled aloud, his eyes stuck to the drawing in front of him.

"The chin a tiny bit lower....gaze a little bit more to the right" he asked her again.

After moving her head without an argument, the man suddenly exclaimed.

"There! Now hold the pose!"

'Good lord I would do anything to not be here right now' De Sardet thought to herself. Not daring to speak her thoughts aloud in fear of offending the poor man.

De Sardet shifted in her seat slightly, desperately attempting to give herself some sort of relief as discreetly as possible. She had been sitting here for nearly an hour. And admittedly, her legs were starting to hurt.

"Just a few more minutes...you have an incredibly singular face.." Cortone said aloud again, only quite realising what he said a second later. One of Jeralyn's brows raised in a questioning manner.

He darted into view to defend himself, his word laced with a nervous tone desperate to humor himself.

"That's a compliment, my lady, out of my mouth"

'Clearly' De Sardet thought again, giving the man a blank face.

"Your...particularly gives you character" the man spoke again, not understanding that it was probably more beneficial to him if he kept his mouth shut.

The door opened unexpectedly, with Mr de Courcillon walking through, spotting De Sardet instantly.

"You're still here?" He asked incredulously.

De Sardet stood up, giving her professor an almost guilty look.

"We've nearly finished" she stated calmly, walking over to join him.

Cortone looked mildly baffled as he didnt spot De Sardet at her chair, finding her over by the door instead.

"Have you any more need of me, Master?" She asked.

"You haven't forgotten that we're setting sail today, have you?" He asked immediately.

"Of course not" she replied, tilting her head and inching closer to him in an effort to keep their conversation somewhat private from Sir de Cortone.

Mr de Courcillon gestured towards the door, with De Sardet following, placing a gloved hand on the wood.

"Your cousin is nowhere to be found...I've searched the palace from cellars to attics, your uncle is beside himself" he stated worriedly.

De Sardet looked away for a moment, but she resumed eye contact as she spoke.

"He was of a mind to paint the town last night, but worry not, I will track him down. It wouldn't be the first time. Make care to your own preparations without worry, master. Both myself and Constantin will meet you on the ship" De Sardet replied in a smooth tone.

Dealing with her beloved cousin was nothing new. She was always there to protect him and pull him out of any trouble. Despite being only cousins, the two were as close as siblings. Being brought up together from day one gave them many a chance to strengthen their bond. 

De Sardet would do anything for her cousin, and everybody knew it.

Mr de Courcillon paused for a moment, as if debating speaking his next words.

"Its about time your cousin took account of the responsibilities awaiting him. He should go and inform the ambassadors of Thélème and the Bridge Alliance of his departure"

"He can't help being eager to prove my uncle wrong, Mr de Courcillon. He will fulfill his new role on the island perfectly, I am sure of it. And you know I am always there to guide him. This will be no different" De Sardet told him, her voice stern but soft as she spoke of Constantin.

"And do not worry, I will see them in his name" she added, nodding gently.

Mr de Courcillon nodded back before leaving the room.

De Sardet went to follow, before the boring reminder in her head mentioned Sir de Cortone.

She looked down for a moment, deciding what to say. She had studied under renown diplomats for years, and now becoming one herself as a recent promotion, she certainly had a way with words.

De Sardet pivoted on her heel gently, a habit she had picked up from Constantin a few years ago.

"Apologies, but urgent matters call me away. Might we...finish this later?" She asked him, inwardly wincing at her words.

"Impossible, my lady, you are leaving with the tide if what I've been told is correct" Sir de Cortone protested.

"Ah yes..well I suppose it cannot be helped. Apologies, again Sir" she gave him a tight lipped smile and grasped the handle before beginning to walk backwards.

The painter began to protest, but he was promptly cut off by De Sardet fully closing the door. His muffled complaints could still be heard from inside.

De Sardet backed away from the door while sighing, another habit she had yet to get rid of.

"Thank you dear cousin for getting me out of that" she muttered, letting a grin make it's way onto her face as she casually sauntered away from the door.

Many of the nobles within the building gave the same greeting, and De Sardet was still adjusting to her new title.

Legate of the Merchant Congregation.

Hopefully it would adjust with time.

Noting that she needed to go downstairs and say farewell to her mother, De Sardet looked down before making a face.

Why in the gods name was she wearing green?

De Sardet shook her head before walking faster towards her room. She had to change into something more comfortable, and a better color.

After having entered her room, De Sardet spotted a outfit on her dresser that wasn't there last night.

A small piece of parchment was folded into one of the front pockets of the buckled jacket.

𝓙𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝔂𝓷,

𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓬𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝓶𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓭𝓮𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮, 𝓘 𝓭𝓸 𝓱𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓲𝓽.

𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼,  
𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷

De Sardet smiled to herself gently, admiring the note.

After placing the note in her pocket, she proceeded to change.

The collar of her new jacket came just below her jawline, the silver buckles contrasted the brown and black leather material perfectly, gold trimmings were around the jackets collar and lapels.

It fit more comfortably than most of the jackets in her dresser. Obviously her cousin had remembered that she had always favoured loose fitting clothes as oppose to the tighter one like most nobles on Serene

She decided to bring her hat with her, but to keep it off until she had seen her mother.

Before leaving the room, De Sardet looked back for a few moments.

Her eyes became clouded as many memories seemed to rush back to her.

De Sardet lowered her head.

She shouldn't be upset, this was a new beginning for eveyone. A chance to form alliances and bring together all types of people in a strange and brilliant new island. A chance for her cousin to be the man hes always wanted to be.

But at what price? Leaving her home and her mother behind was something that pained Jeralyn greatly.

Without her mother, the only family she would have on the island would be Constantin. Not that she was complaining at the fact, more so that she never actually expected to be leaving her home for good.

De Sardet shook her head gently, raising it with a soft but determined look in her eyes.

"New horizons are impossible without losing sight of the shore" Jeralyn muttered to herself, wiping the stray tears with the underside of her gauntlet, eventually leaving the room.

De Sardet took a deep breath to compose herself as she moved down the stairs, completely unaware somebody was watching her silently.

She traversed out into the open sky, the courtyard had been one of her favourite places for a while, for many reasons.

"Hey! Green Blood!"

De Sardet had to stop herself from grinning at the oh so familiar voice.

Her arm reached out to catch the saber coming in her direction, looking away after she caught it.

"Kurt" she acknowledged gently.

De Sardet tested the sword in her hand, flexing her wrist as the two began circling each other.

De Sardet looked up, locking eyes with the man, and giving him a sly grin, watching him as he spoke.

"And so the day has finally come! My royal fledglings are leaving the nest?" he began, watching her closely as she kept her head down during their exchange.

"Accompanied by their most loyal and tenacious master of arms, it seems" she replied, stretching her shoulders as they continued to circle each other.

"As loyal as your gold!" Kurt countered in sly tone.

"Oh enough with the cold mercenary. I know you like us!" De Sardet said to him, meeting his eyes once again.

Her gaze travelled over to a group of recruits and their lieutenant in the corner of the yard.

"Still hiding your men in the unsuspecting shadows of the greats of this world, I see" she tested, secretly wanting to get him going. Knowing their fight would be much more entertaining with him a little riled up.

"Oi...our blades are the only thing keeping you dainties alive" Kurt replied.

De Sardet let out a humoured sound while shaking her head.

"Come now Kurt, Constantin and I are no longer children"

Kurt knew what her words meant. The master of arms was only just over 6 years older than the cousins. But that did mean he became an adult before they did.

"Is that so? Let's see then" Kurt said in a humoured tone, readying his great sword with a fiery look in his eyes as De Sardet did the same, both as prepared as each other.

They both knew they'd never intentionally hurt each other, and all of their fights had either been for fun or for training.

But this was a chance for De Sardet to redeem herself.

For in one of their earlier fights a few months ago, Kurt had unexpectedly kicked her shin out from under her. Allowing him to win.

She figured if she could distract him enough, then perhaps she could use his own trick against him.

"Figh with honor" Kurt called, brining De Sardet out of her planning mindset.

Their battle began.

Kurt allowed her to get closer, knowing that jabbing and darting away was her main technique to deal damage but move away unscathed.

He hadn't expected her to not back away when he first swung however. Instead of darting backwards, she dodged to the left, coming round again as her sword came at him with some speed.

Kurt jumped back, narrowly avoiding a saber hilt to the face.

The fight continued on, with neither side backing down for a second. They danced around each other, dodging and swinging in sequence.

Kurt realised how much he actually enjoyed him and Jeralyn's fights. She was one of the few people who could keep up with him, even putting him on his arse a few times.

"You have a pistol, Green Blood. Use it" Kurt ordered, backing away for a moment but keeping his weapon ready.

De Sardet approached him again, each word of her sentence coming out in unison with her swings.

"I. Am. Not. Shooting. You" she bit out, feeling the adrenaline slowly drain from her body. She was beginning to tire, but so was Kurt.

"Aw, you afraid of ruining my pretty face?" Kurt mused, watching her as their weapons locked together, relying on their holders to overpower the other one.

De Sardet gave him a smug grin, watching his face slowly morph into slight confusion.

Her boot kicked his knee out from under him, and with a shout of surprise, Kurt fell on his back.

By the time he looked back up at the faint shadow how looming over him, he was met with the tip of a saber and the barrel of a pistol.

"You still want me to shoot, pretty face?" De Sardet wore the same expression, a playful glint in her light blue eyes.

Kurt closed his eyes and let his head fall back with annoyance.

"Dammit" he cursed.

Jeralyn laughed aloud, holstering both her pistol and her saber.

She nudged his thigh with her boot, prompting him to open his eyes.

When he reopened his eyes, instead of a sword and a gun, a hand was offered to him.

He took it, locking their wrists and using it was leverage to stand up.

"Not bad, Green Blood, not bad"

De Sardet gave a mock bow, a smile etched on her face.

"Thank you. Unfortunately I cannot stay to rub this in your face any longer. I have some matters to attend to. Are your bags packed for the departure later today?" De Sardet enquired, feeling her breathing even out from the fight.

"Yes, you know I get by with very little. You're not angry that I'm coming with you, I hope?" Kurt asked out of mild insecurity, an emotion he never had to deal with before meeting Jeralyn.

"Of course not. Admittedly I am very thrilled that you and Mr de Courcillon will be joining our party" De Sardet told him in a reassuring tone.

"Ah, so the old goat is coming too...And there I was thinking I would die of boredom on the trip" Kurt replied in what could only be described as a tired tone.

"If I cant find my cousin, there wont be a trip I'm afraid. He's disappeared. Again" De Sardet gave a small roll of her eyes. She loved her cousin, but sometimes tracking him down was exhausting.

"Oh yes, I meant to ask. Shame he isn't around. I would've liked to test his skills before we leave"

De Sardet crossed her arms.

"I honestly dont know what I'm going to do with him. Hopfully he won't get into too much trouble on Teer Frade. If he does, I'll be there to pull him out of it...I hope" she gave the man a lopsided grin.

"You always have been. I do wish to see him express some responsibility when we arrive. Although with you guiding him I'm sure that will be the case" Kurt stated casually, resting his hands on his hips.

"Was that a compliment, pretty face?" De Sardet asked slowly, a smile made its way upon her face.

Kurt blanked, but shook his head while clearing his throat.

"No. Just a statement, Green Blood. Oh and please tell me you won't keep using that nickname?"

De Sardet laughed lightly as she turned around.

"Of course I will! Now, if you'll please excuse me...I must bid my mother farewell"

Kurt could hear the change of tone when Jeralyn mentioned her mother. He knew saying goodbye would he difficult for her, and now that the day has come, he was worried for her.

It was no secret that Jeralyn depended on her mother, not in a wealth sense or a clingy sense, but emotionally. If she wasn't with Constantin or himself, you would always find her by her mother's side.

"Jeralyn" he called, walking closer as she turned around with a sad look on her face.

He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look, one which he rarely showed anybody.

"You'll be alright, I know you will"

De Sardet let out a short breath at his words, they meant a lot. And the both of them knew it.

She placed her own hand on top of his for a few moments before turning around once again and continuing towards her mother's room.

Kurt stood silently for a few seconds, desperately trying to sort the feelings within his head.

He sighed, and began walking to the fountain outside of the courtyard where he would meet up with Jeralyn after she did what she had to do.

De Sardet opened her mother's door, feeling her heart fall at the sight of her condition.

The malichor had taken her mother's vision a few months prior to today, De Sardet remembered crying after learning this.

How horrible to not be able to see your child, or anybody, when you're still alive.

"What is this?...have you not been taught how to knock!? I've asked a thousand times" Princess de Sardet called out, but her voice was strained, and every few words she was forced to take a rasping breath.

Her protests were cut short as Jeralyn's ungloved hand slipped into one of hers.

She calmed immediately, recognizing her daughter's gentle grasp.

"Oh, it's you, my dear Jeralyn"

"Mother, I'm so sorry, but I'm having trouble getting used to your condition" Jeralyn's voice shook as her eyes gazed over her mother once again.

Princess de Sardet leaned forward, brining a frail hand to cradle her daughter's cheek.

"Come now, let's speak of more pleasant things...I'm so very happy to hear your voice" she spoke happily.

Her hand came away as she spoke again.

"You remind me so much of your father...I do miss him so" at this comment, De Sardet stood, gently removing her hand from her mother's and wandering towards the window.

"Today is the big day, isnt it?" Princess de Sardet changed the subject, sensing her daughter's discomfort at the subject of her father.

"Ready to set sail for that island eveyone is talking about!" She exclaimed softly.

De Sardet still faced the window as she answered, reveling in feeling the soft sunlight grace her face in soft beams.

"Yes, that's today...but leaving you behind..alone and ill..is something that does not sit well with me, mother"

"Dying, my child. Alas there is nothing you can do by staying that would ease my suffering. One thing brings me cheer. They say the island is full of miracles...And we might find a cure!" Her optimism failed to reach the heart of Jeralyn.

"Finding it and getting back to you in time are two very different things, mother. You must understand this" Jeralyn turned around, her face crestfallen.

"I did not say bring it to me, my dear. But it brings me comfort to know my daughter has left on a mission to heal her people"

Jeralyn wanted to interject so badly, but she could not find the heart.

"Come now. It is time for you to take your leave. Here, take this with you"

Her words sparked curiosity in De Sardet, prompting her to approach her mother once more as she held out an object.

"What is it?" De Sardet asked gently, reaching out to take the pendant.

It was grey in color, and showered in markings on both the sides and the outer rim.

"A family heirloom...something that...take it, and keep it with you..may it bring you good luck" Princess de Sardet spoke, each word sounding harder to get out than the last.

Jeralyn felt the warm tears collect at her eyelids, but refused to let them fall until she was away from her mother.

She leaned forward, and pressed a gentle kiss upon her mother's forehead.

"All my blessings go with you, my love. Now, be off"

Jeralyn's hand slowly came off her mother's forearm, she could tell she was stalling, and was only able to take a few steps away before stopping.

"Jeralyn, my love...never be afraid or ashamed...of walking away..from anybody. If it brings you a new horizon...then walk until you find yourself again"

De Sardet was silent for a moment, mulling her mother's words.

"I love you mother...and goodbye"

"We will meet again, my child. This, I am sure of" Princess de Sardet replied softly, knowing this was by far one of the hardest things Jeralyn had to do in order to move on to somewhere better in her life.

De Sardet nodded to herself, pushing herself to walk forward, even though her body felt as if countless logs were tied to her by strings, calling her back to her mother in a resonance full of guilt.

But Jeralyn De Sardet kept walking, feeling as if she had betrayed herself by leaving the room.

The click of the closed door behind her rang inside her mind for a few seconds, and she was forced to shake her head slightly in an effort to make it go away.

De Sardet knew who she needed to feel a little bit better right now, but she would never admit that aloud.

She gave a slow exhale as she placed her tricorne on her head.

It sat comfortably over her brunette braid, lucky not pulling any of her hair out of place for now.

Her boots met the cobble road of one of Serene's streets, leading from the courtyard to the front of the palace.

De Sardet continued to walk down the narrow street, seeing the fountain Kurt was supposed to be meeting her at.

True to his word, the Captain was there. Kurt stood on his own, glancing out over the chained railing guard and into the crevice where the sea met the sky.

De Sardet walked up beside him, making sure to avoid startling him.

Kurt looked away from the horizon, and instead looked over at his companion.

He couldn't help but admire how the early dusk sun made her hair stand out, as well as give her eyes a golden glint mixed with her natural blue. Their shoulders were almost the same height, with De Sardet being only an inch or so shorter.

He was surprised to feel a hand slipping into one of his. Kurt turned to Jeralyn silently, about to make a comment.

But stopped himself after seeing how vulnerable she looked right now. He realised that she would do this if Constantin was here as well, and if he had learned anything about her while being in her company for the last decade, it was that Jeralyn De Sardet hated being seen as weak. With only a few exceptions.

He knew she needed support at this time, she had just bid farewell to her mother for gods sake. Mercy on him for thinking this, but the Princess would probably have passed before they reached Teer Fradee.

Kurt intertwined their hands, making De Sardet look up at him with soft surprise.

Her expression turned into a grateful smile, and Kurt allowed the corner of his lips to quirk up in response.


	2. My Lucky Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "ᴅᴇ ꜱᴀʀᴅᴇᴛ, ɴᴇᴡ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ"
> 
> 𝘼𝙣 𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮, 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.
> 
> Teer Fradee is where Jeralyn De Sardet's new life begins as Legate, but nothing could prepare her for facing the fight of her life. Both on the tip of her sword, and the centre of her heart.

De Sardet and Kurt walked down the grey cobble streets of Serene once again.

They had just finished a number of tasks from both Captain Vasco and both the Ambassador of Thélème and the Bridge Alliance.

"So...within our last day on Serene, I've managed to take a cabin boy away from his parents as part of a Naut contract, I've let an old couple of Thélème researches get away while lying to an Ambassador in the process, I've arresting and probably ended up killing that rip off Merchant Alchemist and I've broken Naut law by sneaking into one of their warehouses to get cargo onto the next shipment for your boss" De Sardet rhymed off, counting the jobs on her fingers as she spoke.

"That sounds about right. Is every day this interesting with you, Green Blood?" Kurt asked, feeling fairly relaxed as the two of them walked side by side.

"Pretty much" De Sardet let out a small laugh.

"Are we missing anything?" She asked after taking a look around the street they were in.

"Just your cousin" Kurt reminded without holding eye contact, somewhat smug that he had managed to catch her off guard with the reminder, holding back a smile as her face turned red.

"Oh..yes! Constantin! Of course, of course. Any idea where to look?" De Sardet questioned, turning her head towards him slightly.

"If its your cousin we're after, we're certainly going to hear him before we see him" Kurt commented, both of them knowing it was true.

"Okay, okay so Constantin is a little loud sometimes. Like you when you make me jump at training when you do your yelling"

"What yelling?" Kurt asked, brow raised.

"That whole 'Fight with honor!' thing" De Sardet didn't humiliate herself by trying to match his accent, but she did raise her voice while she was quoting the man beside her.

"I'll have you know, a lot of people like my yelling" Kurt defended, jesting with her.

De Sardet gave a sarcastic hum of agreement.

"Sure, Captain"

She didn't expect Kurt to bump her shoulder with his own, making her jolt to the side slightly at the force.

While she stopped and looked up at him with a slightly shocked but amused face, Kurt continued walking, acting like it never happened.

De Sardet came up behind him and shoved him forward with a hand to his shoulder blade.

He stopped as well, both of them sharing amused looks.

This continued while they were on the search for Constantin, each of them playfully shoving each other off the road.

Eventually they stopped, instead sharing laughter.

Kurt's laugh was indeed a wonderful sound. When it wasnt sly or angry, his joyful laugh was airy and carefree.

After a few seconds of comfortable silence, De Sardet spoke, but she kept her head tilted down slightly as she did so.

"May I ask you something, Kurt?"

"Ask away, Green Blood"

"I wondered if you ever felt lonely"

De Sardet's sudden question made Kurt stop, he hadn't expected that at all.

Jeralyn's gaze was still set off to the side of the road. The Legate wasn't sure why she couldn't make herself look at him. Perhaps out of guilt.

The two had always been quite close. If she wasn't with Constantin or her mother, you would usually find Kurt and Jeralyn training together, or going on walks around the city. Neither had really seen those walks as anything romantic at the start, as when Kurt was first introduced to the cousins, he was barely 19, while they were 12 and 13.

But as the years flew past, and both cousins grew with time, Kurt found himself much more interested in the woman. Although he never had the heart to admit it to anybody, as it would undoubtedly be seen as unprofessional if the Master of arms was to have an interest in the one he pledged to protect.

Kurt answered with honesty, and moved closer to the woman in an attempt to make her feel better.

"I always do. Why, do you want to rectify this?" He asked, feeling a little more relieved at her state when she met his eyes as she answered.

"Thats a shame, I had thought I had given you good company over the years" she paused, watching his eyes soften.

"You did, Green Blood. Days with you were ones I will cherish for as long as I can. They made me feel like more than just a Coin Guard mercenary" Kurt admitted.

Jeralyn placed a hand on his forearm and the other on his shoulder, prompting him to meet her eyes.

"You know you will always, always be more than just a mercenary to me, Kurt. You've been my guide, and my friend. Hopfully this new island will give us the chance to become closer" her words were spoken in one of the softest and most sincere tones Kirt had ever heard her talk in.

Kurt gave her a small smile.

"In what way?"

De Sardet backed away grinning, she held out her arms casually as she spoke.

"Whatever way you want" in one of the most daring acts of her life, she winked at him before pivoting on her heel and continuing down the path towards some of the warehouses on the side of the port.

Kurt watched her stroll down the path, walking with an aura of confidence. She would make an excellent diplomat, that he was sure of.

True to his words, both the Legate and the Captain were able to hear Constantine before they would see him.

"If you had any idea who I am...open up imbeciles! I have a ship to catch!" Her cousin's voice flew through one of the upper windows of the brown building, echoing out into the streets.

"Found him" De Sardet commented to herself.

"Sounds as if he's locked up" Kurt mentioned, watching Jeralyn's face contort into worry as her cousin's voice raised with manic desperation.

"We could negotiate..." De Sardet contemplated, looking over every part of the building, searching for a way in.

Her eyes caught a much thinner and more damaged part of the wall.

"I take it you have a plan?" The Captain asked, watching De Sardet's face change as a plan formulated in her head.

Jeralyn's hand reached towards her waist, where a small pouch rested on her hip. She felt around it for a moment, smiling when she felt the orb like vial.

She turned to her companion, grinning widely.

"We're blasting our way in, and fighting our way out. Are you with me?"

"Until my last breath, Green Blood"

Surprisingly, the explosion didn't attract any of the guards around the front of the building, which confirmed De Sardet's suspicions.

They were in fact, idiots.

The building was somewhat well lit, boxes of what Jeralyn presumed to be stolen goods lined most of the corners and walls of the rooms.

After traversing upstairs with no trouble, they found two doors opposite to each other, one pad locked and the other not.

De Sardet took a guess, and presumed her cousin was inside the locked one.

She got on her knees, taking the pick lock and a small knife out of her belt.

"My goodness, your Excellency. Picklocking? Not exactly a talent for the Princess's daughter?" Kurt mused, standing back to allow more light for her to see what she was doing.

"I'm full of surprises, Kurt. And please never call me that again. It sounds so wrong coming from you" she shook her head with a smile, and even though Kurt couldn't see her expression, he knew by her tone she was humoured by his comment.

The lock fell off the door with a thud and De Sardet stood up.

She turned to Kurt.

"I bet you 10 gold he'll throw something at me thinking I'm one of those bandits" she challenged, knowing her cousin's nature of self defence to be very poor.

"Just remember to guard the face. I don't need to be picking glass shards out of your eyes, Green Blood" he responded, watching as she gave him a nod and opened the door.

Constantin, who had heard the door begin to unlock, began his monologue.

"Well, this has been monumemtus gentlemen, but I have more important things to attend to" he reached for the bottle infront of him, lazily reaching his arms out as he spoke again.

"An island to govern...treaties to sigh...riches to exploit and a demanding father...." he paused, watching the door open.

"To impress!"

Constantin threw the bottle with some force, landing right in Jeralyn's guarded arms, smashing to pieces.

She barely had time to speak before she was shoved against the wall, a forearm against her throat.

"Constantin! It's me!" De Sardet exclaimed, watching as his face changed to one of joy in seconds.

"My dear cousin!" He laughed.

"Ah ha my lucky star, always there to pull me out of my fires, Jeralyn" he continued, taking the woman into a tight hug before releasing her and holding her upper arms.

De Sardet placed her hand on the back of his neck brining their foreheads together. Constantin placed his own hand on the back of her neck in response.

This was a usual for the cousins, it was something they made as children, and used as a greeting, farewell or just a way to make the other one feel better.

They released each other, and De Sardet gave him a smile.

"I do what I can. How do you fare? They didn't injure you, did they?"

"Nothing I can't handle, cousin" he replied, still wearing a joyful smile on his face.

"We are departing soon" she paused, taking his hand and leading him out of the room, into the view of Kurt.

"Your father wasn't pleased with your absence this morning" Jeralyn continued.

Constantin stopped, his mood slowly declining at the mention of his father.

Out of the two cousins, Jeralyn was the one to earn the favour of her uncle over Constantin. She found this unfair, as she knew all the boy had ever wanted to do was impress him. Alas Constantin never held a grudge or held it against her, instead she inspired him to be something more.

"Have you ever seen him happy about anything when it comes to me...you know what he thinks of me!" Constantin protested softly, watching as De Sardet turned around in response.

"He cares about you, dear cousin. I know that. He appointed you Governor, didn't he? It's a monumental position for someone your age" she tried, walking closer and lifting his chin with her fingers.

"He is simply ridding himself of a source of constant disappointment" he argued softly, sighing.

The cousins looked at each other for only a few seconds, but both knew what De Sardet was doing. She was ressuring him, helping him by being the crutch she had always promised to be. To help him see himself in a better light.

"Enough said, dear Jeralyn. Today we set sail for adventure!" Constantin perked up.

"If you only knew how these riverscum treated me, do me a courtesy, good cousin. Now that we stand boldly alongside the brave Kurt, let's give them their moneys worth" Constantin stated, Jeralyn could tell he was already getting fired up from the way he was talking.

Jeralyn looked over to Kurt with a devious grin.

"Fight our way out, brave Kurt?"

Kurt chuckled, crossing his arms and sending her an equally fiery gaze in return.

"Fight our way out"

"Ooh this will be amazing" Constantin interjected, walking backwards into the other room to collect his doublet.

Jeralyn held out her hand towards Kurt wordlessly. He stared at it before meeting her eyes with a confused look.

"Should I be doing something?" He asked slowly.

"I was right. Now pass over my gold"

Kurt sighed, but reached into his back pocket before dropping the few coins into De Sardet's hand.

She grinned at him smugly, putting the gold away.

"Thank you" she hummed.

"Yeh yeh...whatever" Kurt brushed off.

Constantin returned seconds later, dressed in a similar outfit to his cousin, but his outfit sported more red and blue, as well as white trimmings alongside the gold ones.

He unsheathed his saber, still holding a smile on his face.

Kurt held his great sword at his side, while De Sardet held a hand on the hilt of her saber, holding up her pistol in another hand.

The three companions were a sight to behold.

Once they reached the door, Jeralyn nodded to Constantin towards the door, allowing him to bust it open.

He did so enthusiastically, shouting insults and swinging as the bandits realised what was happening.

Kurt and De Sardet joined the fight seconds after, each swinging their weapons at various enemies.

De Sardet watched as a bandit came behind Kurt, with him being too preoccupied after slashing two of them down in one swing.

De Sardet vaulted over a crate, skidding on her knees before standing up, her gun pointed directly at Kurt's figure.

"Pretty face! Duck!" Kurt did so immediately, allowing the bullet launched from her gun to soar into the bandits chest. He fell to the dirt with a thud.

De Sardet breathed heavily, not out of tiredness, but out of fear. If she hadn't seen that bandit, would Kurt have been injured? Constantin was on the lower level so it wasn't his fault at all.

The said cousin ran up to join them, hearing the gunshot.

Kurt gave her a strong nod of thanks, watching as she straightened her jacket after holstering her pistol.

"Very well done, cousin! Once again your skills in combat have surprised me" Constantin praised, watching her with a smile.

"Yeh well. I had a great teacher" she sent Kurt a grateful look, watching him as he sheathed his own sword.

"Indeed you did, dear cousin. Shall we head?" Constantin offered, gesturing to the port with a tilt of his head.

"Yes. I think that would be best. Vasco did mention the tides will not wait" De Sardet reminded them both, brushing off her legs as she began to walk. Kurt followed behind her with Constantin leading them, each step more enthusiastic than the last.

After a few minutes of quiet walking, Constantin was a good few meters away from Kurt and De Sardet.

He caught up with her slowly, eventually walking side by side as they had done earlier that day.

"I appreciate what you did back there. I cant help but think you used your gun to make a point, perhaps about training this morning?" Kurt guessed, keeping his voice a little lower as to not distract her cousin from his happy mind set.

"I used my gun because if I threw my saber, you would be leaving that warehouse without an eye" De Sardet laughed to herself.

"Well...if it helps, you've became an excellent shot" Kurt replied, giving her a sincere look before walking a few paces faster, ready to swing at anybody who attempted to jump or attack the future Govenor.

'That does help' De Sardet thought to herself, unable to stop the blushing smile that creeped onto her face.

When they reached the port, Captain Vasco was shouting orders confidently once more, it was clear he had been doing this a long time.

Upon hearing the footsteps behind him, he turned. And found the Legate, future Governor and the other Captain infront of him.

"Ah, De Sardet. You've returned. And with his Excellency in tow it seems"

"Are you ready? Can we weigh anchor?" Constantin asked excitedly, resting his hands on his hips.

"We should be able to set sail with the tide, as agreed upon" Vasco confirmed, looking happy to get off the island himself.

"Do we have permission to board the ship, Captain? We're ready. Eveything is in order" De Sardet requested.

"Certainly, but keep in mind we will be at sea for several months. If you have any farewells to make or business to conclude, now is undoubtedly the time" Vasco reminded them.

"As I said, everything is in order...no more farewells to make" De Sardet felt her mood drop with the reminder of leaving her mother.

Constantin noticed this, and while he had bid farewell to his aunt yesterday, he knew it would've been much harder on his dear Jeralyn. He made a note to ask her how she was feeling on the subject once they had departed.

"Very well, follow me" Vasco gave the three a kind smile before beginning to walk down the side of the port onto a flat, open surface. Bigger than the courtyard, usually used to store cargo in a safe place for loading onto the ship.

It was clear Constantin could hardly contain his excitement.

"I am so eager to discover Teer Fradee....my isle...my new city"

"Come now, cousin. You should do well to remember that there is more to being a Govener than the right of owning the city. You will have responsibilities, and you are partly in charge of keeping up good relations with our neighbouring cities and their people" De Sardet remined him, placing a hand on his shoulder as they walked side by side.

"Of course, and I always have you. My new Legate. Ooh how exciting this is cousin! The both of us, brand new roles to fulfil on a brand new land. This is the start of something amazing. I am sure of it" he replied, watching the sky with a far off gaze.

De Sardet let out a sound of amusement. 

"Your optimism will never cease to bewilder me, dear Constantin"

The trio continued after Vasco, nearing a large ship before their own one.

"Apparently Teer Fradee is filled with gigantic creatures...I heard the Nauts brought one back on their ship" Constantine rumoured.

Kurt scoffed lightly.

"I doubt that...the Nauts are strange, but they're not idiots"

"I find the Nauts fascinating, if I'm being completely honest" De Sardet admitted, leisurely swinging her arms as she walked.

"How so?" Kurt's tone was one she hadn't exactly heard before. It was a long shot to call it jealousy, as De Sardet had never actually heard Kurt sounding jealous before.

"Many ways. Their recruitment, the contracts, their powers on the sea. It's all very intriguing. I would've enjoyed a life as a Naut I suspect. Not that I dont enjoy this" De Sardet quickly corrected herself, not wanting to sound ungrateful.

Their conversation was cut short by a crew member aboard the large ship. He ran towards the edge, almost throwing himself over with urgency.

"The beast has awoken!" He called.

De Sardet's eyes widened.

Surely not...they hadn't actually brought one back, had they?

Kurt held a protective arm infront of Constantin, knowing full well De Sardet could defend herself.

Vasco stepped forward, venom laced his tone.

"Those conniving, piss-distilling Bridge building liars! The creature was supposed to be out for days! They'll pay for this!"

"What the hell manner of cargo are you transporting?" Kurt questioned.

"Help! We need ropes! We must contain it! Help!!" the sailor continued to yell.

"Captain Vasco....contain what?" De Sardet asked him, a tone mild with fear.

Constantin stepped forward, assessing the cracking hull before turning around to the others.

"Come now! Let's lend them a hand!" He proposed.

But mere seconds after his final word left his mouth, the hull burst open.

A creature, nearly as big as half of the ship behind it, crawled forward, roaring ferociously.

Constantin crouched to avoid any flying pieces of debre.

The creature seemed to be fully made of bark, or some kind of wood. Logs and branches emerged at all sides, pikes and chains wrapped around parts of the creature heavily.

Constantin was either in awe of the creature, or was frozen in fear.

"Constantin! Move, dammit!" De Sardet yelled, running towards him with a determined expression.

One of the masts upon the ship began to fall with great speed, De Sardet pushed her legs to move faster.

She couldn't lose Constantin, not like this, not ever.

She grasped his shoulders, pulling him out of the way and pushing him towards Kurt and Vasco. The creature was toppled by the mast, but quickly began to stand once again.

She looked at the trio and spoke.

"Kurt, Captain Vasco, keep my cousin safe. I'll deal with this!" She yelled, watching as worry emerged on Kurt's face at her words.

De Sardet noticed the heirloom her mother gave her only a few hours prior, and she grabbed it before she lost sight of it again. 

As her cousin and his protectors fled the port, De Sardet turned around to face the gigantic creature. 

This was the first time she had actually taken a good look at it.

It was beautiful.

The way its branches winded around each other reminded her of her mother's garden from when she was a child, the tones of brown and beige contrasted beautifully.

And its eyes, bright amber.

Jeralyn could only marvel in its looks for so long, and her eyes widened as a brached arm came flying her way.

She rolled to the side, feeling her jacket collar press up against her face at the force.

De Sardet unholstered her pistol, and stood her ground.

The trio was watching her from a distance.

Vasco noted how the fear prior to saving her cousin was completely gone, instead, she looked determined. The creature had to be well over 10 times the size of her, but she didn't back down.

Kurt was watching with worry, he knew she could handle herself, but this was beyond her for sure.

De Sardet met the creatures eyes, and for a brief moment, she felt connected to it.

However the moment was broken as the creature roared once more, moving to fall on her.

She rolled out of the way once more, feeling adrenaline pump through her veins at the new fight.

Jeralyn guessed that the best way to avoid being crushed today, was to keep a fair distance from the creature and use her pistol.

The first few shots seemed very effective, and the Legate was able to keep a good amount of distance between herself and the creature.

After reloading her next shot, she took aim. Lining up her eye with the end of the barrel at the creature, she pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

De Sardet brought the gun back to her chest, hitting it with her free hand, desperately trying to unjam it before she was killed.

"Green Blood!" Kurt's call made her look up, only a second later she was launched backwards with some force. Her back hitting into a large pile of plywood holding up other crates. She went out of sight.

Involuntarily, she let out a yell.

"Cousin!" Constantin called out, worry etched upon his face.

The monster roared once more, seemingly in victory.

A bullet slammed into the side of the creatures head, drawing its attention to where De Sardet had stood up.

Her hat had fallen somewhere after being thrown, and some of her hair had fallen out of place in her braid. She held her pistol high, watching as the smoke evaporated out of the barrel.

In an unexpected act, she threw it to the side, instead drawing her saber.

Constantines eyes widened at her actions.

"Surely she isn't going to face the creature with just her sword?" He exclaimed.

"It seems she will" Kurt replied, trying to calm himself after what they had witnessed.

De Sardet swung her sword around in her hand, twisting it over and over again in an attempt to intimidate the monster and ready herself.

It seemed shaken, and already weakened, but like her it did not let up.

Once again it charged towards her, roaring and shaking the ground beneath it.

De Sardet didn't move this time, she needed it to be as close as possible for this to work. Her facial expression didn't change either. Still determined as ever.

The second the creature was where she wanted it to be, she dived underneath it, rolling out the other side.

Her saber pierced it's back, and she used the hilt as leverage to pull herself onto the creature. She began to run along it's back, eventually reaching the top of its head.

A dagger embedded itself in the creatures neck, prompting it to fall with a much weaker roar.

De Sardet leaped off and walked towards her pistol.

She aimed with a blank expression, hiding what pity she felt for the monster.

Their eyes met once again, light blue against amber.

De Sardet looked away, before pulling the trigger.

The creature stilled, and was defeated.

Her arm dropped. But she holstered her pistol slowly.

Jeralyn backed away from the creature, watching it with a gaze of sympathy.

"Green Blood! How do you fare?" Kurt approached her, watching as she turned around in response.

"I'm alright, Kurt. It is dead" she commented, looking back to the creature with the same sympathetic expression on her face.

"Are you wounded?" Kurt asked, reaching for her forearm.

She let him take it, not having the energy to move away from him.

"I am well. Worry not, it only got me once" she protested, but he continued checking her shoulders while still standing beside her.

"It launched you into a pile of full crates. You must be bruised at least" Kurt responded, the worry lacing his tone becoming more apparent with every word.

De Sardet took his hands away from her shoulders, and held them together. Prompting their eyes to meet.

"That may be so, but bruised is better than dead. Truth be told, I'm more worried about my pistol" she joked with him, wanting to see him smile.

Kurt sighed before brining her in for a hug.

De Sardet froze, this was new. Very nice, but new. On the rare occasion that they hugged before, she had always been the one to initiate it.

"Never. Ever. Scare me like that again" he scolded quietly after letting go.

She nodded in response, giving him a small smile.

Kurt turned his attention to the now fallen creature.

"I've never seen a beast this size...its quite extraordinary" he marvelled softly.

Constantin jogged down from his place up on the pier, approaching his cousin with a relieved face.

"Cosuin! What a fight! You were illustrious! The way you ran across it, without any fear at all, simply marvelous" he exclaimed.

"I could never call this act marvelous, Constantin. It was already weakened. I did nothing more than finish it off. Perhaps I could've attempted to calm it first" De Sardet admitted regrettably.

"Your humility remains a constant, dear cousin. And I understand your thoughts. But it was going to kill you. And so you did what you had to do" Constantin tried to meet her halfway, knowing she felt bad for ending the creatures life.

She nodded meekly at his words.

Kurt had also sensed she was upset, so he placed a gloved hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Let's go and meet with Captain Vasco. We should be more than ready to depart" he offered, watching her nod before she slowly began walking towards the other port.

Constantin gave Kurt a smile, thanking him for helping her feel a little better.

And so Kurt and Constantin followed after the Legate, towards the boat that would take then to their new lives.


	3. The New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "ᴅᴇ ꜱᴀʀᴅᴇᴛ, ɴᴇᴡ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ"
> 
> 𝘼𝙣 𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮, 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.
> 
> Teer Fradee is where Jeralyn De Sardet's new life begins as Legate, but nothing could prepare her for facing the fight of her life. Both on the tip of her sword, and the centre of her heart.

Short wisps of earth brown hair brushed against the black tricorne calmly, each flowing with the wind.

De Sardet stood at the bow of Captain Vasco's ship, adoring how the waves crashed against the wood below.

She had ventured on many ships before, usually accompanying Mr de Courcillon or her mother on various business trips. But none of them had ever lasted this long.

This was due to be around the final day of their sailing, and De Sardet would be sad to see it end.

During the trip, she had grown closer to Captain Vasco, as well as the cabin boy, Jonas.

The Captain had unexpectedly came behind her, leaning his own hands on the taffrail, standing on her right.

"You seem comfortable up here, your Excellency. I take it you've sailed before?" He asked, making conversation between them.

Jeralyn tore her eyes from the fog infront of her, meeting his light hazel eyes.

"A few times, yes. I've always enjoyed the sea, part of me had wanted to become a Naut when I was younger. Of course, with my place in the bloodlines for Serene, that was impossible. But my mother tried her best to take me on as many trips as she could to give me experience" De Sardet admitted, crossing her arms on the railing, letting herself relax as she took another deep breath.

"I had heard about the Princess. My greatest apologies, De Sardet. I can only imagine what you've been through since the malichor came around" Vasco sympathised, giving her a soft look.

"Thank you, Vasco" De Sardet paused for a moment, before sighing.

"I dont know why I'm keeping much hope of her being alive. Even now, we've been at sea for months...I doubt she held out this long. She was always a very strong woman, but the Malichor has always been stronger" Jeralyn watched the horizon with an empty gaze. She could no longer even tear up at the thought of her mother.

Did that mean she was a bad person? For not even begging emotional over her probably deceased mother?

As if Vasco could hear her thoughts, he placed a hand on her shoulder, offering what comfort he could.

"You are not any less of a human being for not showing as much emotion as you have done in the past. It does not make you evil, nor does it make you any less of a good person"

De Sardet looked down at her forearms slowly while thinking about his words.

"We should be arriving within the hour. I will tend to other matters on board" Vasco gave her a small pat on the back before removing his hand and walking off the other way.

Kurt had been watching from the other side of the ship. Him and Constantin had been talking by the starboard side.

Constantin had been rattling on once again about some of his possible new duties as Governor, while Kurt had been looking to where Vasco had approached Jeralyn and the two had started talking.

His eye twitched when Vasco's hand found her shoulder, much like his own had throughout the years.

"-but then of course, father decided to.." Constantin paused, seeing Kurt distracted.

He turned while following his eyes, and found Vasco walking away from his cousin. Even he was smart enough to figure out what Kurt was thinking. Hell, Constantin had been hoping they would end up together for years.

Constantin leaned an arm on the railing beside him, deciding to speak his mind while looking up at one of the sails.

"If you need my blessing, you have it Kurt"

Kurt blinked before turning around to the young prince in surprise.

"I'm sorry, your Excellency?" Kurt asked, his jaw slightly ajar.

"My blessing, dear Kurt. I've seen the way you look at our dear Jeralyn for years. May I just say, jealousy does not look good on you" he continued, knowing he had Kurt right where he wanted him when his face began to flush.

Kurt shook his head and reached up to remove his hat before turning towards the sea.

Constantin did the same before nudging the mercenary with his shoulder.

"Hey...I swear not to tell her. But you should, before some smart mouthed lad on New Serene does so. You and I both know what she will say in return"

"Its not about what she says, Constantin. Its...its wrong! I'm her sworn protector, not someone for her to court. She's a diplomat, your cousin! How are you alright with this?" Kurt asked incredulously, a tired look sat upon his face.

"I'm alright with this because you are a good man, Kurt. You always have been good to us, ever since day one. Who cares what anybody else thinks, if you love her - like I know you do - then nothing should stop the two of you being happy" Constantin argued softly, not raising his voice in fears of his beloved cousin overhearing their conversation.

Kurt sighed, taking one last look behind him at De Sardet, who seemed to be in a better mood.

"I will tell her in time, young prince"

Constantin gave him a wide smile.

"Better late than never!" He whispered excitedly before pivoting around and walking off.

De Sardet and Constantin stood together as many, many seagulls hearded the ships, all of them squawking loudly, flying through the spaces between the masts and the open air like bullets.

"Teer Fradee! Ahoy!" The sailor upon the Crows nest announced, sparking excitement as the cousins looked at each other with wide grins.

Perhaps Constantin was right.

Maybe this really would be the start of something amazing.

Constantin was the first to exit off the ship, instantly being confronted by three silent doctors, much like the ones on Serene.

After stepping off the ship and walking to the side in order to see around the warehouses belonging to the Nauts, Jeralyn marveled in the views of New Serene.

It was, for lack of a better term, magnificent.

The ashen tones of the mountains behind the city, and the green and orange hills in the lower regions all called to De Sardet.

This would be an amazing adventure, this she was sure of.

Kurt had been watching her eyes light up as they took in something new, how the unbelievably fresh air made the back of her jacket flow to the side and how her mouth was only slightly ajar in an open smile.

He really needed to stop staring before it became creepy.

Vasco came beside Kurt, watching the young woman with a smile.

"Is she yours?" He asked him casually.

Kurt could nearly choke. That was two people today alone who had asked about their non existent relationship.

The Coin Guard Captain turned to Vasco with a bored look.

"She belongs to no one"

"You know that isn't what I was suggesting" Vasco chuckled, watching as he became slightly defensive at the subject, telling him know all he had to about the man in front of him and the Legate.

"She seems nice. You'd be good together" Vasco commented again softly, giving the man a smile before walking away to speak with his Admiral.

Kurt rolled his eyes.

De Sardet strolled over to her cousin, now holding one of her own bowls filled with a positively disgusting liquid. Alas she was told it would help her adapt to the new environment.

How that worked, she had absolutely no idea. But she wasn't going to go against the doctors of this land. As they probably knew best.

"There you are!" Constantin acknowledged her presence. He was currently speaking to who Jeralyn presumed to be his predecessor.

"To your health!" De Sardet toasted joyfully, walking towards them.

"Ah ha! You got your dose of bile too!" He turned towards the lady in red.

"Allow me to present to you Lady Morange, and to you my dear lady, my most trusted cousin" the two nodded in greeting.

"Where is the Captain?" Constantin questioned, facing his cousin.

De Sardet looked off to where Vasco and a woman wearing a similar outfit were speaking. Vasco was clearly annoyed, and the woman was shrugging sympathetically.

"He seems to be preoccupied with who I can only assume is the Admiral" De Sardet guessed aloud.

"Indeed. Then I will have to thank him later for this most marvellous voyage" Constantin decided.

The young prince turned to Lady Morange with a joyous tone and a wide smile.

"Excellency, lead me to the palace, I beg you! And...whenever possible...go by way of all the intriguing alley ways" Constantin paused, strolling forward confidently.

"I am dying of impatience to discover this new city...my city!" He exclaimed once more, turning around and giving them both a grin before continuing on, prompting Lady Morange to begin protesting.

"Ah. Your Excellence, we must wait for our escort!" She protested, near stumbling after him with urgency.

"No need! Have no fear for I am here to defend you, my lady!" Constantin replied, still as happy as he was moments go.

Kurt approached Jeralyn as she watched her cousin walk out of site.

She saw Vasco trudge over before he spoke with a tone full of annoyance.

"I've been skullied!" He exclaimed, seeming positively pissed off.

"How so?" De Sardet asked softly. Their voyage was marvellous, and as far as she knew, Vasco did nothing wrong.

"My admiral laid me off" Vasco replied, still sounding very annoyed.

"My cousin and myself were nonetheless delighted with your services. I certainly hope there was no misunderstanding" De Sardet offered.

"None. I am sure of it. She just ordered me to 'give you any assistance you might need'"

"I take it you would prefer to stay with your ship?" De Sardet gave him an understanding smile.

"Exactly. In any case, here I am at your service, for a while!" Vasco told her, his tone seemed to slip from annoyance to content.

"Well, we are glad to have you accompanying us, Captain Vasco. We should head towards the palace. I suspect my cousin will have my first job for me as Legate" she paused, shivering slightly.

"I'll never get used to that" Jeralyn finished, rubbing the back of her neck.

"You have this title for a reason, your Excellency. Do not forget" Vasco reminded her, walking in step on her left as Kurt took the right.

"True, although I believe my uncle knew I would rather be out and about as oppose to appointing me Governor. I may have a way with words, but my talents are better suited to diplomacy rather than ruling over a city" De Sardet admitted to both men, each keeping a casual pace as they entered the town.

Many of the townsfolk did not bat an eye lid at the trio walking, most simply went about their business.

As they approached the palace, De Sardet was the last to go past the guards.

She stopped and turned once she heard a woman's voice with a thick accent speak to her.

A woman wearing coloured fur and beads was behind the crossed spears of the guards. Her hair was a similar shade of brown to her own, but one difference was that many tree like horns encased the parietal of her skull, mixed in between her hair. Another surprising factor was the small patch of what could only be described as hair along her jaw and reaching down her neck.

Involuntarily, her own hand reached up to brush the very similar patch of hair on her own face. As a child, Jeralyn was confused as to what it meant, and it took her several years to stop being disgusted by it as she was upset she didnt look like her mother or her cousin.

But with their help, she became proud of it, and hoped to one day understand what it meant.

The native woman had seen this patch too, and began speaking in another language.

"A to, oi! Sients rádidaw cwint da dégewd me en?"

One of the guards looked at De Sardet, seeing no recognition in her eyes.

She narrowed her eyes at his unwanted interest.

"Attention soldier!" She called, watching as his head jerked back facing forward.

The woman had watched as De Sardet spoke perfect English, prompting her to attempt her own sentence in their language.

"Let me pass. I must see the chief of your village" she asked the guard.

Both men simply laughed to themselves in response, De Sardet narrowed her eyes once again and moved down the steps. Perhaps she should ask her cousin to reassign these men. They didnt have much respect for a woman outside of their culture.

"Whatever could be so funny?" The native asked in a dry tone.

"Apologies, madam. But might I ask why you wish to see the Governor?" De Sardet asked kindly, meeting her eyes.

"I am Sìora, daughter of Bládnid, my mother is the màl, the chief of our clan. I am here as an emissary of my people, and I must see your chief- Governor!" Síora corrected herself, glaring at the guards for a second before meeting De Sardet's eyes once more.

"So you are a princess then?" De Sardet offered, giving her a kind smile.

"A what?" Síora asked blankly.

"Let her pass!...Lady Síora, I will present you to the Governor, come" De Sardet motioned up the steps with her hand.

"Princess? Lady? You are most confusing...but thank you for your help" Síora replied, following De Sardet up the stairs towards the palace.

Once she was in view of Vasco and Kurt, the latter began to speak.

"Willing to give us an introduction, Green Blood?"

"Captain Vasco, Kurt, this is Síora. A native who lives on the island in her village. She is here in their name"

"Hello" Síora greeted, giving them both a small nod.

"Good day, my lady" Vasco replied.

"Are you sure we can trust her, De Sardet?" Kurt asked her, careful not to offend the native.

"I worry it is the stair guards who cannot be trusted. They laughed at her. Ridiculous. I have the right mind to get them reassigned!" De Sardet ranted, walking towards the large wooden doors.

Vasco chuckled at Jeralyn, it seemed she truly did have a fiery personality. Perhaps that was why herself and Kurt got on so well.

The trio followed behind her, entering Constantin's palace. The brown wallpaper along with the dark limestone pillars contrasted beautifully.

They walked up the stairs and entered Constantin's throne room.

"There you are, dear cousin. What is this....who is this amazing person in your company?" Constantin's expression changed, gazing at every detail of Síora. From her clothes to her hair.

"I am Sìora, daughter of Bládnid, daughter of Meb. My mother is the màl, the chief of our clan" Síora introduced.

"I am honoured to make your acquaintance, Síora" Constantin paused, looking back and forth from his cousin to the native.

He let out a sound of disbelief.

"...This is incredible. You look so much alike, you could be related.." he marveled.

Kurt had to admit, that was one of the first things he had noted when he first saw Síora a few minutes prior.

"If you would allow me, princess. I would like to confer a mission to my cousin. You need to visit the Governors of the Bridge and Thélème. To give them my formal regards, that sort of thing, but also to discover what they've managed to learn. They've been here much longer than we have, perhaps they've made some inrods to finding a cure for the Malichor" Constantin explained.

Síora interjected.

"Forgive me mál , but I have a request for you. My people needs your help" she pleaded.

"I thought we might discuss matters together at leisure, but please...speak your peace" he offered.

"The lions...the Bridge Alliance and my people are at war. My mother has sent me to you in search of allies. I fear that without your help, our clan will suffer great horrors, we have already lost so many souls" Síora admitted. Her tone was true.

"Hmm...this is a sensible request, you know though that we cannot go to war with our neighbours" Constantin reminded her grimly.

"If I may, cousin. Perhaps there is a way to negotiate a cease fire? A time to see things more clearly?" De Sardet stepped toward, crossing her arms in thought.

"Excellent idea! I would be completely lost without you, dear Jeralyn! Go and parley with uh..the Queen, cousin. Try and put an end to confrontations for the time being" Constantin requested happily.

"I will come with you. It will take more than one person to convince my mother to lay down our weapons" Síora offered.

"Perfect! Take Kurt along with you and anyone you feel useful. I've been told that the roads are not safe. Safe travels, dear cousin! And watch out for yourself, I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you" Constantin told De Sardet kindly.

Jeralyn and her cousin pressed their foreheads together as an act of farewell. 

Síora and Jeralyn began to walk away after she had asked about the strange interaction between the two.

Constantin looked over at Kurt with a grin, sending him a wink and gesturing to where his cousin had strolled away.

The Captain sent the young prince a warning glare in response, but dismissed himself to catch up to the women.

De Sardet and Síora stood by the palace doors, waiting for Kurt who was only a few seconds behind them.

"I believe Síora's village is the priority. I can converse with the other Governors at another time. Human lifes are more important right now" De Sardet said, walking down the hill outside of the city. Síora was behind her with Kurt at the back.

They had estimated that their journey to Síora's village would take around 5 hours.

"May I ask you something, Síora?" De Sardet started, letting her take the lead in the road as she had never ventured out of the city before today.

"Of course, On ol menawí. What is it you wish to ask?"

"Your people, the natives" De Sardet started, looking down to watch where she was going.

"They are bonded with the island, correct? As in, you are connected to it. I've heard many natives have...abilities. Much like the Nauts and their magic, you have your own"

"That is correct. My people have been connected to this island for generations. Even though we are all in different clans, we are all bonded. Like you" Síora's words made De Sardet pause before looking up at the woman with confusion.

"Me? Bonded? Impossible. I've only been on this island for half a day" De Sardet replied, making short eye contact with Kurt for reassurance.

"That may be so, but you are marked. Like me. That mark cannot be forced, you are connected to this earth" Síora stated softly, letting her fingers brush against some of the shrubs as she walked.

"Perhaps one of your ancestors were, what you call, native. It is a slim chance, but possible" she continued.

"Perhaps the pretty flower is right. Maybe one of your mothers relatives came from here? Or, if I may, your fathers?" Kurt jumped in on the conversation, walking in step with De Sardet as they followed the native.

Jeralyn tried to brush off the sense of jealousy when Kurt had referred to Síora as 'pretty flower'.

The trio rounded a long corner, the dirt path beneath their feet becoming more and more dry as they walked.

"We are close to my village. Only a few more minutes" Síora told them, looking back for a moment.

De Sardet stopped as her eyes caught view of large, bear like creatures covered with black fur.

"Síora...what are they?" She asked, brining her group to a halt.

"If I had a some gold for every new thing I saw in this place" Kurt commented, looking at the new creature. There were about 4 of them.

"Those are Ulgs. They are very common on Teer Fradee. This is good, seeing them means we are close to Vedrhais"

Growling ensued after Síora finished her sentence.

"Ah..they have heard us. That is not so good" Síora commented, wincing slightly while drawing her stone needle.

Kurt unsheathed his claymore while De Sardet held her pistol.

"Anything we need to know about these creatures, Síora?" De Sardet asked, watching as they began to approach the trio.

Síora had to dodge an incoming paw before answering.

"They are mildly resistant to magic, but vulnerable to elemental damage" she told them, moving to the side in order to gain some distance between her Ulag.

The second charged towards Kurt, leaving the third and fourth to race towards De Sardet.

"Dammit" she cursed quietly, moving into a fighting stance.

Both attacked in what could only be described as unison. Prompting De Sardet to bend backwards, pressing a gloved hand into the dirt and swinging up her legs as momentum.

Seconds after her feet had been planted back on the ground, De Sardet raised her pistol before pulling the trigger.

The bullet slammed into the head of one of the oncoming beasts, it roared in pain before cowering for a moment.

While that Ulg was distracted, De Sardet attempted to throw her dagger at the second one.

Surprisingly, the blade met its mark, digging into the Ulgs side as it circled her.

After reloading and firing a few more times, both of her Ulgs were dead.

De Sardet stood from her kneeling position, walking over to the stabbed Ulg in order to retrieve her dagger.

"Your fighting is impressive, on ol menawí. You fight with the style of a native, but the force of a renaigse"

"Renaigse? What does that mean?" De Sardet asked, wiping her dagger off with a rag.

"Hm...in your language, it would translate to the people, the settlers in the cities. Those who are not natives" Síora explained, watching as Kurt approached them.

"Are we close to your village, Síora?" He asked her, tightening the shoulder strap underneath his armour.

"Yes. It is just through there" Síora replied, pointing to where the road disappeared into a dense forest.

Stones with circles carved out of them and lamps woven from branches were some of the first things De Sardet saw after entering Vedrhais. Multiple hemispheres made from thick green vines and more branches were scattered around the first level.

"Facinating" De Sardet commented, looking at everything in detail.

"I am glad you like our village" Síora smiled.

"Its unlike anything I've ever seen before" Jeralyn marveled again.

"Are all villages like this? I take it the clans have their own villages"

"Yes, you are right. Others are similar. Some have levels and hills, while some are smaller" the Native told her, leading her past a massive stone in the centre of the village.

De Sardet entered the largest building first, which she could only assume to be the chief's residence.

A Native confronted her immediately.

"Who do you think you are? By what right do to enter the home of our Queen?"

Síora stepped in.

"Come now, Arwant. You are not a watch dog! Where is my mother?"

"Síora! I did not see you...you have come to late, your mother has gone to wage a war! They left for did e kiden nádaigeis only a few hours ago" Arwant exclaimed.

"Oh no...we need to catch up with them, and avoid the shedding of blood! Please, haste!" Síora turned to De Sardet with eyes full of worry.

The Legate placed a hand on her upper arm.

"Fear not, Síora. We will attempt to intervene if we must. Lead the way, and we will follow" De Sardet decided, holding the hilt of her sword in anticipation.

As they strode out of the building and into the village, Síora began to lead the way, talking as she did so.

"In order to go towards did e kiden nádaigeis, we must follow the path leading to the heights and to the forest" she commented.

After jogging for a few minutes, De Sardet and her companions came to a split path.

"Wait. We should go left here. It is a more difficult path, but it is much shorter" Síora turned to face De Sardet.

"If left is the path you think we should follow, then we will" De Sardet replied.

"Thank you, on ol menawí, I appreciate your trust" Síora gave a nod of thanks, prompting the trio to move again.

After dropping down a ledge, Ulgs were what stood in their way.

It only took just over a minute for their enemies to fall, having fought them earlier that day.

De Sardet pulled herself up another ledge before jogging through a stone archway.

What she saw before her was horrific.

Bodies strewn the ground, some Natives, some Bridge Alliance. She knew Síora had mentioned a war, but never would she have guessed it was this bad.

And it seemed a battle was still going on.

A handful of Natives were attempting to rid themselves of 7 or so Bridge Alliance soldiers, but they were close to losing.

De Sardet's eyes met with Kurt's as she looked back at him with urgency.

"Come on. We've got to help the Natives" he nodded at her words, and both unsheathed their weapons, Síora had already joined the fight.

After a few minutes of more dodging, slicing and shooting. Most of the Bridge were cleared out.

One Native owned the battlefield, a woman with a heavily white painted face, as well as earth green hair and horn branches, much like Síora.

She was an excellent fighter and even knew how to use a rifle.

One Bridge Alliance soldier came behind her with force, but Síora stepped forward and acted quickly.

With a shout, she slammed her hands onto the ground.

Within seconds, a large, moving root emerged from the soil, speeding towards the man. It wrapped around his leg, dragging him backwards violently before leaving him stranded in the air.

The woman Síora had called Eseld, finished him off by throwing a dagger into his eye.

De Sardet's eyes widened. Her accuracy was a damn sight better than her own.

Síora stood before stumbling towards Eseld with another shout. When she approached however, the woman was not as emotional as Síora, who had awkwardly stopped her arms from embracing her.

"You are too late, Síora! Mother has fallen. And we are defeated" Esled stated.

De Sardet's heart fell. Eseld was her sister. And the girls had just lost their mother.

Jeralyn could not help but dip her head as Síora cried out in anguish.

A strong hand on her shoulder gave her comfort, for she knew who's hand was there.

She locked eyes with him, and she could tell what he was asking without him having to even mutter a word.

Are you alright?

She gave him a soft nod, and he removed his hand. Immediately she found herself missing the feeling.

"This is not fair" Síora muttered, her voice still full of heartbreak.

"I am...so sorry, Síora. I truly, truly am" De Sardet could only sympathise with her.

Eseld took notice of De Sardet immediately.

"Who is this woman?" She questioned, moving forward. Her tone had not changed from when she first spoke. It seemed Síora was the one to show more emotions than her sister.

"She resembles one of us, but is dressed like a renagise" she stated.

"I'm the ambassador of the Congregation of Merchants. Please believe me when I say I am sorry for your loss" De Sardet held eye contact with Eseld. Even though her glare was quite scary.

"The Congregation?" Eseld repeated, she did not sound happy.

"And what side are you on in this war? Those who massacre our people?" She questioned again.

"Eseld, calm down. You know mother sent me to seek out allies" Síora reminded her sister, defending De Sardet in the process.

"You show up when the fight was nearly over! Was this part of your plan?" She turned to Síora.

"You know that these monsters are taking our own, they must make honorable amends"

"Síora only met us a few hours ago, Eseld. I am sorry, truly. We did our best to come as fast as we could, and I fought by your side...please, take the time to at least hear me out" De Sardet pleaded, hoping her words were enough to sway the Native's thoughts.

"There had already been more than enough death. You are wounded. This is not the time for vengeance"

Eseld seemed to be in thought for a moment.

"You may be right. Waiting for my vengeance will make its taste all the sweeter" she turned to her sister.

"I feel weak, might I ask you to watch over our own, Síora? I must return to the village"

"Go on ahead, we will tend to the wounded, wont we now?" Síora acknowledged, looking over to De Sardet.

"Of course. We will do eveything we can, Eseld. I promise"

"A-and we must find my mother...or her body if she is indeed dead" Síora added sorrowfully.

"Do you have any idea how? I mean no disrespect, Síora. But there are so many bodies here already" De Sardet reminded her gently.

"I know...find her banner. It bares the symbol of our clan"

De Sardet nodded, watching as Eseld and some other warriors headed towards where the trio came from, through the stone arch.

After a few minutes of finding and tending to a number of wounded but surviving Natives scattered around the massacre, De Sardet took a look around, feeling her mood drop once more as she spotted a red flag on a level up from where she was right now. It was the only flag on the whole battlefield, so taking a guess, Queen Bládnid was probably up there.

"Come, Green Blood. Let's get this over with. It should give pretty flower some closure" Kurt reminded her softly, falling into step with her as they approached the ledge.

"...Why do you call her that?" Jeralyn wanted to kick herself after she was unable to keep the question from passing her lips.

Kurt glanced towards her, confused.

"Call who what?" He asked.

"Nevermind" De Sardet replied quickly, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"No no, call who what? Síora you mean?" Kurt asked again.

"I...yes" De Sardet admitted, looking away.

"I don't know. Just a nickname that came out" Kurt explained, keeping his tone steady.

De Sardet gave a slight hum of acknowledgement.

Silence ensued, not one of their various comfortable ones, instead this felt awkward. Jeralyn hated it.

Kurt helped her up the ledge, watching Síora climb up beside her after she had seen them approaching the second level of the terrain.

Síora approached the flag, staggering to her knees. Her cries began again, the painful, pit-like sensation in her chest was one that would surely take hours to go away.

De Sardet should know. As that was the exact same feeling that gripped her as she left her mother for the last time back on Serene.


	4. Innocence Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "ᴅᴇ ꜱᴀʀᴅᴇᴛ, ɴᴇᴡ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ"
> 
> 𝘼𝙣 𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨, 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙮, 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.
> 
> Teer Fradee is where Jeralyn De Sardet's new life begins as Legate, but nothing could prepare her for facing the fight of her life. Both on the tip of her sword, and the centre of her heart.

"Come on Jeralyn! You're going to miss it!" Constantin yelled while looking back for a moment before he continued running again.

"Constantin! Wait for me!" Jeralyn replied, rushing up the stairs after him.

The 11 year old raced after her cousin, the wind flowing through the long strands of her mahogany brown hair. Her eyes filled with excitement.

Tonight was one of the rare evenings that the cousins did not have any classes, allowing them to do as they wished. For the last few months, Constantin had found a new favourite place in the palace. The balcony outside the library. From there, the view of Serene was spectacular.

The cousins had only recently been allowed to roam their home more freely, as Constantin's father decided if they were mature enough to go to certain places, but after De Sardet took an interest in reading, the grand library was now open to them.

Young De Sardet slowed down, gazing around at the tall shelves in a search for her cousin.

"Jeralyn! Come on!" Constantin's blond head peaked out from one of the shelves, a wide smile on his face.

De Sardet mirrored his expression, jogging after him enthusiastically.

She could not help but allow the gasp to escape her lips as her ocean eyes set their gaze on the sky in front of her. 

Constantin watched her with a soft smile as she approached the balustrade with an awe filled expression.

Her bare and dainty hands brushed against the stone as she lowered her forearms upon it.

The young Prince came beside her, gazing at the sunset himself.

The sky looked at if it was painted a light pink, drips of yellow and orange mixed between the lilac clouds above them. And at the centre of it all, a falling sun.

"Pretty extraordinary, wouldn't you say, dear cousin?" Constantin placed an arm around her.

A sound of disbelief escaped her as she struggled to find the words.

"I never knew...something so simple could look this beautiful" she commented, her eyes still attempting to take in all the colours.

"Look at the city, Jeralyn. How they bask in that light like air. They depend on us, you know. I heard father talking earlier today, he talked about status, about position, and how to uphold it. At any means possible" Jeralyn watched the city below her as he spoke.

"Those below us, would be nothing if our ancestors did not put themselves first, take the place they deserve. We are the ruling family over Serene, dear cousin. We are the highest position. And if we do not defend that, it will change. They had the power, and they used it how they deemed was right" he continued, not taking his eyes off the setting sun.

"One day. We will rule. You, and me. Of course, one of us may get there first, but as cousins, as family, we support each other" he paused, meeting her eyes.

"If I ever get the chance to rule a new world...I want you there with me. All the other kids, will never understand, but you do Jeralyn" Constantin turned them towards each other, taking her hands before intertwining their fingers.

"You have always been the only one to truly care for me, dear cousin. My only friend. That's all that matters to me"

PRESENT

Jeralyn slowly blinked as she woke up, the crackling fire was all she could hear above the silence.

She did not know why she dreamt of that day. It was a memorable moment, maybe. But there had been many other times her and Constantin shared together. Better times, like their first training session with Kurt, the time they had played tag in the gardens, exploring the castle attic.

Constantin never had many friends as a child. De Sardet never admitted it to him, but it was true he was quite mean to the other children. But never to her. They were too close to fight, too close to disagree. Too close to betray.

De Sardet shook her head. Maybe going for a sleep after travelling for at least 4 days wasn't the best option.

She had always never really enjoyed sleep, it made her think too much about things she could not control. Dreams were the strangest. Memories had been appearing lately, all of them about a time from when De Sardet was younger. It puzzled her greatly.

"Ah. So the Legate wakes" Vasco's voice filled the air.

She looked over, spotting him on the ground near the fire.

Although she could not see her other companion.

"Where's Kurt?" Jeralyn asked, moving to sit cross legged while stretching her arms.

"We were talking before he grumbled something about 'firewood'. So I can only assume he went out to collect some" Vasco guessed.

De Sardet had never seen him without his hat off for so long, it was strange. Not in a bad sense, but it was new.

It had been a good few weeks since Legate De Sardet had successfully managed to help Síora retrieve her mothers body. The Native thanked her for her assistance with a hug and a promise to be there for the Legate if she needed her.

De Sardet was thankful, hopefully with this influence, the Congregation's alliance with the Natives could grow stronger.

De Sardet had been exhausted. The company had finished running between San Matheus and Hikmet for nearly a week trying to keep them happy.

She was confident that their alliance was much stronger than it had been prior to her arrival.

Being a diplomat for so many factions was undoubtedly something she was great at, but it was exhausting at times. 

A twig snapped in the distance, prompting De Sardet to swirl her head around at the dark space between the trees.

Perhaps it was Kurt, but she had to be sure.

As quietly as she could, Jeralyn reached for her pistol - which was already loaded - and stood from her crouched position.

Vasco had stood up as well, ready to defend his friend.

The thin barrel surveyed the dark space, and De Sardet's bare finger hovered over the trigger.

The tense silence was deafening, and De Sardet could feel her heartbeat thumping through her ears.

Kurt emerged from the darkness, holding a few logs.

He raised his eyebrows at the scene infront of him, De Sardet aiming a gun and Vasco gripping his saber.

"Hells fire, Kurt!" De Sardet exclaimed, throwing her arms up in annoyance.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to let you freeze, Trigger-happy?" Kurt mused, stepping over a satchel to reach the fire.

Vasco had sat back down and watched as Jeralyn ran a hand down her face with a quiet groan.

She unexpectedly stood before taking off her jacket and dropping her pistol on the leaf strewn floor beside her saber.

"I'm going for a walk" she called to the men, her back to them as she marched away.

Kurt watched as she disappeared into the darkness before shrugging to himself and continued tending to the fire.

"Oi. Lubber-face. Go after her" Vasco's harsh tone made him glance up.

The Naut was staring back at him with furrowed brows.

"She doesn't need my help, Vasco. Its De Sardet, she'll be fine" Kurt brushed off.

"Not for her protection, Captain Idiot. Go talk to her. She's obviously annoyed at you" he continued, not fazed as Kurt glared at him.

"Sure! Why dont I just walk up to her and kiss her? Because that'll solve everything" Kurt bit back, shoving another log into the fire with anger.

"If you don't do it, I will"

Kurt would have dislocated something if he looked up any faster.

"The hell you will"

"Better get there before me, hm? Look, I'm not asking you to confess. But it's obvious she's annoyed about something. Go speak to her. Sort it out. Or the next day and a half travelling will be a lot more painful than it has to be" Vasco concluded, firmly pointing to where De Sardet had walked off.

Kurt managed to stop himself from commenting back, instead looking to where Vasco was pointing.

He let out a loud sigh before standing.

"Dammit. Green Blood!" He called, running after her.

Vasco smiled to himself smugly. And continuted to enjoy the evening air.

Jeralyn rolled her eyes as she heard the voice.

"Turn around, Kurt. I came out here to think, not to be followed by my bodyguard" Jeralyn replied, walking faster.

Kurt managed to catch up, grabbing her shoulder, only able to hold it for a few seconds before she shook his hand off.

He had to admit, that hurt. It was the first time she had ever done that to him.

"Something's bothering you, Jeralyn. Talk to me" he asked, still following behind her.

"I'm fine. Piss off"

Kurt rolled his eyes before grabbing her upper arm and pulling her backwards.

"Hey! What the hell-" Jeralyn's words caught in her throat as her back hit a tree. Kurt had now grasped both of her upper arms, holding her in place without injuring her.

"No. You and me are going to talk. Now" Kurt's face was filled to the brim with annoyance as he glared at her.

De Sardet returned his look. Neither of them backed down for a few minutes.

"Did I do something? Whatever it was, say the word and I'll never do it again" Kurt told her, watching as her face relaxed and her expression shifted into a sad one, his grip faltered slightly.

"Do you mean that?" Jeralyn asked softly, a frown etched upon her face.

"Of course I mean that. What is it?" Kurt's tone turned soft as he tilted his head slightly, desperately trying to figure out what was wrong with his Legate.

De Sardet's eyes flickered downwards before she closed them and sighed, letting her head rest against the bark behind her for a few moments.

"Do you...like Síora?"

Kurt's eyes widened considerably as the question left her lips. He blinked for a few seconds then met her gaze again, watching as she continued to speak.

"Its just....at the battle between the Natives and the Bridge, and after retrieving Queen Bládnid's body, you called her 'Pretty Flower' no less than 10 times" De Sardet explained, glancing off to the side. 

She felt stupid. Absolutely stupid for letting this get to her.

It wasn't as if she liked him. It was none of her business.

"Again with the nickname, Green Blood? I don't understand why it offends you"

...Gods, she wanted to tell him. How she wanted to scream it from the top of every house in New Serene.

Her mouth opened slightly, the words drifting across the tip of her tongue, waiting to break free after years of pushing them down...

But she couldn't...she could never bring herself to admit it.

De Sardet let out a gentle and defeated sigh instead, relaxing her muscles and no longer fighting against his hold.

For she could never lose him. Friends were one thing, losing them hurt like hell, but people who you let get too close? Losing them is like ripping the deepest part of your soul out with your own hands.

Constantin was somewhat of an exception, similar to her mother as they were family. Bond together instead of a chosen fate.

Blue orbs clashed together, and although both were a different shade, each held so much emotion.

Jeralyn gave a strained smile.

"Nothing. It does not bother me. I have just been very tired lately" she paused, looking away. 

"Apologies for my behaviour and storming away earlier. This island is putting me on edge. Come, Vasco must be wondering where we are" Kurt let her arms slip out of his grip.

He watched her walk away and a part of his mind screamed at him to run after her, to hold her and cherish her like he had wanted to for years.

But he did not. Because he was terrified of losing her.

How ironic that both hearts shared the same fears.

THREE WEEKS LATER

Jeralyn sighed, dropping into one of the two chairs by her fireplace.

She lazily pulled her hat off her head, and threw it across the room where it landed on the surface of the crafting bench by the door.

Before placing her arm back down however, she reached into her hair and pulled out the pin keeping her locks in place, letting them cascade down her shoulders.

De Sardet shook her head gently in order to make sure nothing was tangled before laying her head back on the fabric of the chair.

She was alseep in minutes.

Lately she had been feeling quite unwell, but for the convenience of her role as an always moving diplomat, none of her companions were told. And she did her best not to show it.

Speaking of companions, Síora had joined the party once again after Jeralyn had helped her and Eseld prepare a ritual in order to bid their mother farewell.

She had also met Petrus and Aphra.

Petrus claimed to have met her and Constantin when they were children back when he was a diplomat at her uncle's court. They met again in San Matheus after De Sardet had gone to report something to the Mother Cardinal. He is a kind man, who is very skilled in magic. But by what De Sardet has seen, he is not afraid to use his diplomatic talents in manipulation, much like herself.

Aphra's meeting was much less poetic. Instead, the first words they exchanged was while the Alchemist had a barrel to her face. After a few days of meeting a new group of Natives and helping her learn from them, Aphra was much closer with De Sardet.

Jeralyn had been pushing herself to maintain the best relationship possible with her allies. As one wrong move could prove all of her work to be useless.

Since De Sardet's residence within each city had a total of 6 bedrooms, she had invited all of her companions to feel free in making a room their own. They were under no obligation to stay there indefenetly, but she happily told them that they were always welcome.

Petrus entered the De Sardet residence, closing the door behind him softly after spotting Jeralyn passed out on the chair again.

His brows furrowed with concern. This was the fourth time this week the Legate had fallen alseep somewhere during the day. While it was true that their travelling could be the source of her exhaustion, it was true she didn't look much better after sleeping.

She had also began to pale slightly.

Petrus looked down in thought. Something was wrong, but he couldn't be sure of what it was.

Instead he ventured upstairs, wanting to collect some papers before going back to his business outside the city until De Sardet needed him. Many of the companions did this. Although the only two that were here the most often besides Jeralyn herself, were Kurt and Vasco.

A few hours later, De Sardet opened her eyes. 

For a few seconds, the interior within her home was awfully blurry, thankfully the sensation wore off.

Spotting blue and white from the corner of her eye made De Sardet turn towards the chair beside her. Kurt was there, hat off and resting his head on his palm casually.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Jeralyn asked him, watching as his gaze flicked over from the burning log fire to her now shifting figure. He seemed to have been deep in thought before she spoke.

"Thought you could use the sleep. How are you faring? Petrus mentioned you looked off when he dropped by earlier" Kurt asked, moving his head slightly in order to see her better.

De Sardet stretched her arms before settling back into the chair.

"I am fine, thank you for asking. I suppose all this travelling had made me tire for some reason. Usually multiple long distance journeys do nothing to me. Perhaps I am getting old" she mused softly, joining him in watching the flames dance before them.

Kurt, however had been looking at her hair while she had spoken. It was rare to see it out of the usual rounded braid, and even though Kurt believed both were as nice as each other, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was like this.

Her posture was completely relaxed, he could tell she was physically tired still, but even mentally instead of her usual diplomatic expression ready to make decisions, she was simply enjoying an afternoon in her own home.

Perhaps her relaxed nature had to do with him being the one to sit with her, but he did not want to give himself false hope.

Kurt scoffed, smiling slightly.

"'Getting old'. Bunch of crap. I'm the one who's 31 this year, you know. If anybody is getting old, it's me. You're only 24 still if my math is correct, right?" Kurt asked, tilting his head.

"25, my birthday was sometime last week, I believe" De Sardet corrected softly. She hadn't wanted to make a big ordeal out of the day, it wasn't anything special, she was just a little older. Constantin had turned 26 either a fortnight ago or later, her memory was foggy lately.

"You should've told us. Or me, at least" Kurt replied.

"Ah well" she paused, getting lost in her thoughts. His head perked up as she spoke again.

"Do you remember when I taught you how to waltz for my 18th birthday? You were horrible" De Sardet laughed gently, watching with bright eyes as he fought back a smile.

"Two months to learn a dance isn't that bad" Kurt defended meekly, unable to stop himself from letting out a short chuckle.

The two remained in silence for a few moments, and although neither had forgotten about their interaction in the woods a few weeks ago, they seemed to be on much better terms.

"I had actually wanted to speak with you about something, Green Blood" Kurt started.

Jeralyn turned to him with a curious look on her face.

"Go on" she replied softly.

"I recruited a young man for the Guard a few months ago. Talented. Very talented. And honorable. I've been tracking his progress. And I learned that he's been sent to the barracks here, in New Serene. I would like you to meet him, so you can give me your opinion" he explained, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.

De Sardet was slightly taken aback. Did he value her words so much as to ask her something like this? As a Legate, she rarely had anything to do with the Guard, and felt this was a more personal request on his behalf.

"My opinion? On what?" She tilted her head slightly as she watched him.

"Ever since our departure from Serene, I've spent nearly every second by your side. But I have clear standing orders to assure the protection of Constantin. And I dont know his guards. Not well in any case" Kurt explained, meeting her eyes.

"Ah. I see. You think this recruit could be a suitable personal guard for him?" De Sardet guessed.

"Precisely. And your opinion has weight" Kurt admitted passionately before continuing.

"If you're feeling up for it, would you like to accompany me to meet him?"

Jeralyn gave him a smile, reaching over to take his bare hand in her own.

It was rare for any of her companions and herself to not wear gauntlets or gloves. Most of the time, the only thing that came off her helmets, and occasionally De Sardet's new Congregation of Merchants cape.

"I'd love to"

Kurt gave her a smile before the two of them stood up, and left the building.

Kurt had left his hat next to Jeralyn's, making a note to collect it later.

They approached the barracks and De Sardet could tell how eager Kurt was to introduce her to his recruit.

"Soldiers" Kurt greeted the young recruits inside the barracks.

"May we be of service?" One replied.

"I'm looking for the soldier Reiner. Is he in the barracks?"

"I've never heard that name before, Captain" the male recruit replied.

The female followd suit.

"Never heard the name, Captain"

Kurt was thoroughly confused.

"That's strange...I'm certain he was sent here" He protested softly.

"Maybe he's been moved since then? When was the last time you heard news of him?" Jeralyn asked, hoping to reassure him.

"In Serene, just before our departure. But that's been a couple of months"

"If I may, Captain. You should have a word with the quartermaster"

"That's right, Captain!" The other soldier jumped in.

"He has a register with the affectations of every recruit in the Blue-Silver regiment"

"Hm. At ease, Soldiers" Kurt replied, beginning to walk away and into the next room, where Quartermaster Manfred was.

"Hello, your Excellency. What can I do for you?" Manfred asked, seeing the Legate approach.

"I've been looking for one of my recruits, goes by the name Reiner. I would like for the Legate to meet him" Kurt told him, shooting De Sardet a smile.

"Reiner?" Manfred repeated slowly, his demeanor had changed completely, and De Sardet began to worry.

"I'm sorry Kurt. I thought you had been informed.." he continued.

"Informed about what?" Kurt furrowed his brows.

"He's dead...he was found drowned in the port harbour, day before yesterday. I was told he had too much to drink and fell in. I'm extremely sorry, Kurt. The young men drink more than they can handle when they're on leave" Manfred admitted, watching as Kurt's expression softened, and for a few moments De Sardet saw the man he had always tried to hide. The softer side that had hardly came out at all if he could help it. At least around other people besides herself.

"That's bollocks" Kurt suddenly fired back, but his demeanor was still saddened.

"That lad isn't the sort to sully himself with drink....I don't believe it!" He protested.

"People change...when they're far from home, the lads have little else to do" Manfred continued.

"I still don't believe it" Kurt repeated, sounding more firm.

Noticing his tone, Manfred spoke again.

"..Listen, you might as well go and ask the doctor down in the morgue. I might have misunderstood what was reported to me...those doctors use such long words for simple things" he tried.

"Excellent idea. At least you'll see for yourself" De Sardet reminded him, giving him a sincere look.

"You're right. Let's go" Kurt replied, still trying desperately to hide the emotion in his wavering voice.

As the man walked towards the stairs, De Sardet turned to Manfred.

"Thank you" she said quietly before following him down.

The duo approached the doctor with purpose.

The examiner looked up with interest.

"Well now, a visit. Can I help you with something?" He asked.

"We're here concerning the matter of recruit Reiner" De Sardet explained in place of her friend, she figured he was dangerously close to the edge right now, as she had never seen him quite like this.

"Are you family or friends?"

"You could say that. I'm the one who recruited the lad" Kurt answered for himself once more.

"I see. Well, what I can do is tell you what I can" 

"When was the body brought to you?" De Sardet asked, starting with the simplest of things.

"Day before yesterday. In the early morning"

De Sardet paused for a moment.

What she had been told by Manfred and the doctor lined up fine so far.

"What about the circumstances?"

The doctor still held a very guarded tone.

"All I know is what I was told by the fellows who brought the body to me. They said they'd spent the evening together at the Tavern. That they'd had a great deal to drink. A horrid habit that all soldiers seen to share" he glanced in Kurt's direction.

The said man narrowed his eyes.

"Reiner was not a drinker" 

"Maybe not...all the same he was drinking that night. He stepped outside for a moment and never came back in" the examiner shrugged, and De Sardet resisted the urge to punch him. Something wasn't right here, she could feel it.

"His companions found him drowned in the bay early morn. And they brought him to me" he continued, once again glancing at De Sardet.

"How then did he die, in your opinion?"

"He drowned" the examiner told her bluntly. "I'm sorry. Its regrettable, he was quite a young man"

"Yeah, and his death makes no sense. He didn't drink. And he knew how to swim" Kurt interrupted, and De Sardet could tell he wasn't convinced by the examiners story either.

"All that same, that's what happened. I greatly regret it"

De Sardet thought for a moment, but then an idea formed in her mind.

"Might we have a look at the body? I'm sure my associate here has some things he would like to say to his recruit while he can. You understand, I'm certain you see it every day"

"Ah..um..no, no I wouldn't reccomend that. To see your friend in such a state" the examiner turned to Kurt with a scared expression, but both friends picked up on the change of tone. It was faulty and wavering.

"I'm a soldier, doc. I've seen a number of men in pieces. Let me see the lad" Kurt insisted, picking up on De Sardet's plan as well as truly wanting to see the boy he had held so much hope for one last time.

The examiners facade began to crack, he began sweating, and his eyes darted from De Sardet's to the ground multiple times.

"I..I regret, Captain. I cannot allow that"

Jeralyn watched him with a narrowed gaze as she leaned forward, resting her bare palms gently across the worn wooden desk. Pieces of her hair fell off her back and hung off her shoulder as she began to speak. It felt strange having it down for so long.

"You must understand, sir. That as Legate of the Congregation of Merchants on Teer Fradee, I've been studying people since I was born. I'm a diplomat. And I make for an excellent lie detector. Now, if you'll be so kind, I will ask once more. Can we see the body?" De Sardet didn't want him to know she had him figured out, but she wanted to be threatening enough so he knew she was onto him to some extent. It worked like a charm.

The man was practically shaking in his chair.

Was she really that scary?

"I-I see. Pardon, your Excellency. I should have recognised you..an-and shown you more respect" she gave him a tight lipped smile.

"Its the body in the middle" he continued, collecting himself. "Examine him if you must, but please be so kind as to not leave a mess after you!" He requested.

The Legate did not answer him, instead Kurt followed behind her as she walked into the next room, hiding a smug expression even though his mood was overall very low.

He had to admit, when she used her Legate voice, even he was a little scared. But he was nevertheless thankful for her help so far.

When the door shut behind them, Kurt's eyes had already found his lad.

It was painstakingly clear that the boy didn't die of drowning.

De Sardet inched closer, her gaze landing on multiple, large bruises littered on the soldier's visible skin.

"He is so young...still just a boy. Kurt, is this him?" De Sardet spoke lowly, watching as Kurt had still not taken his eyes off the bloodied body on the table.

"Yes..that's my Reiner" Kurt paused, not meeting her eyes as he gazed down, and spoke in a much softer tone.

"Poor kid. I should've left him with his family where he was"

De Sardet placed a hand on his back, gently moving her fingers along the padded fabric.

"We both know that examiner is telling us nothing but crap...if we want to learn more, I've got to take a closer look. May I?" She asked him gently, knowing all of this was already a delicate situation for the man.

"He's not the first young man I've seen with the lights gone from his eyes...Go on" Kurt acknowledged.

De Sardet nodded gently, before stepping closer to inspect the boy.


End file.
